Commissioner on Higher Education Kim Hunter Reed
A Board of Regents report shows students allowed into higher education through “academic exemptions” had noticeably lower college GPA and graduation rates. The report was inspired by LSU’s admission that they had doubled the number of exemption students allowed into the institution. Commissioner of Higher Ed Kim Hunter Reed says most of the exemptions were in one category.
“They don’t meet the admission criteria, primarily because they are need reaching the ACT requirement.”
Students at LSU need a 25 on the ACT to get in, while statewide universities like UL-Lafayette require a 23, and regional schools like Southeastern call for a 20.
Only 32 percent of those with exemptions in 2010-2011 graduated in six years, compared to half of those without exemptions, and their GPA’s averaged 2.0 while nonexempt students averaged 2.7, But Reed notes student athletes with exemptions performed much closer to the average due to their support networks.
“No surprise on the academic gap, but a reinforcement based on the athletic students that if you support them they can be successful.”
Only two thirds of students with exemptions returned to college after their first year, compared to 82 percent of those without. Reed says many of those exempt are first generation college students, who need more support from the state in their academic careers.
“In a state like Louisiana where we have significant poverty, and a lot of first generation students, minority students, rural students, we have to do more to make sure that students are successful.”
In 2001 the Board mandated LSU only allow four percent of their admissions to be exemptions. That number has increased under the “holistic admissions” policy.
